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Chapter 3
Saturday morning, post temple, came with the entirety of New Directions in the boys back yard covered patio at the two picnic tables which were pushed together for exactly that purpose. Once pancakes, fruit salad and bacon in copious amounts had been served, the teens blinked at Kurt expectantly. Sighing he relayed the information regarding the impending transfer of the Dalton Warblers.
"Wait. WAIT. This is some kind of sick prank right? Like… what is this; Punked or something?" Santana snapped rubbing at her temples. "I have Cheer Regional's to prep for plus this whole Glee thing and classes and now we're getting Garglers on campus because that Criminal Chipmunk tried to blind Helmet Head?"
Sighing Kurt looked at Sam with tired eyes, but only Puck and Finn really noticed it. Kurt was a master at ensuring no one saw through his masks. "No it is not a joke, I can assure you I started out giving Nicky and Jeff quite an ear full before Wes took the phone and confirmed the story." Setting his fork down, the countertenor eyed the table. "Wes does not joke about things like this. Trust me, he's far too… serious about the Warblers to lie about disqualification and their having to essentially disband."
"But, I don't understand. How did this even happen?" Mike spoke up this time.
"Well, SOMEONE recorded the confrontation in the auditorium and managed to email it to Sebastian's father, who then showed it to Headmaster Williams and the rest of the Warbler parents. They decided I was right and their boys needed a reality check." Glaring around at his fellow gleeks he asked. "It wasn't any of you was it?"
"Uh, no way! Even if I had recorded it I never would have sent it to anyone's dad! You made it clear you didn't want them in trouble." Artie replied knowing he was at the top of the list. "It had to have been JBI or something." Then was a smattering of agreement and for a while no sound except that of food being eaten.
Once more Santana spoke up. "Well, if Daddy Warbucks wants his little rodent faced son to get some public school reality checks, I say we give it to them. Glee club or not, word needs to get out that those guys are not on the safe list."
"The what?" Tina blinked in surprise.
Quinn gave a small smile, "A while back the guys and Cheerios made a safe list. People, mostly you guys, who would catch hell unleashed if they crossed a line. After Karofsky we weren't letting anything happen again." Her eyes moved to Kurt, shame and guilt heavy in them because she had seen the hell he was going through but not helped. Not helping, not trying had driven Kurt away from them and worse had killed the best parts of him. Their Kurt was just gone. "You never wondered why Blaine hadn't gotten more than a welcome slushy?"
Shrugging as if the words he was about to say were obvious. "I just assumed it was because he was one of the guys. He could pass for straight so they left him alone." Finishing his coffee he stood. "Anyone else need a refill?" Taking a couple of mugs he headed back into the kitchen.
Once the door closed Puck let the scowl fall over his face. "What the everloving fuck does that mean?!"
"What do you mean, what does that mean?" Mercedes gave Puck a glare. "It means, White Boy, that you boys have never treated Kurt like one of y'all. You never spend time with him. Ask him to hang out. Or perform with you. I mean, yeah he said once he was an honorary girl, but that might have had more to do with not wanting to be around his former bullies without supervision. Ya think?" Once her little rant finished, Kurt returned and the guys were unable to respond or even question her.
Setting the mugs back down he moved to his seat. "So I'm thinking that if we just let the Warblers to the wilds of public school they'll be begging their parents to go back to Dalton. But, Niff should get a place on your list. They were usually kept out of the loop since it was common knowledge that we were close friends still."
Kurt had picked at his bowl of fruit salad, eating very little and downing coffee at a dangerous rate. Sam covertly snagged a honey butter crescent and sat it on a small plate between he and Kurt. Tearing it up and popping some into his mouth then left the rest, relieved when Kurt began snacking on the little guilty pleasure. The only people at the table realizing what just happened were Puck, Finn, and a narrowing eyed Santana. Something was up and she was going to find out what. Her Glitter-Baby never ate off another person's plate and she'd heard his disgusted response to someone daring to touch what he was meant to eat.
"Can I be the one to give Smarmy Warbler his welcome slushy?" Santana asked looking around the table.
Clearing his throat and looking out over the pool Kurt sighed, "I can't condone or encourage slushying but it's not as if I can keep you from doing what you feel is deserved." His eyes met Santana's and they shared a rather fear inducing smile.
88
The front door to the Hudmel home shut with a not-quite slam, followed by the light patter that only came from Kurt's steps. Kurt had returned home early on a Sunday, long before the sun had even set. Sunday's were a pre-planned 'date night' for he and Blaine, so when the guy's heard him tell Carol that he wasn't feeling well and just wanted to take some medication and sleep and that he wasn't hungry or interested in company right now they knew something was up. Sam felt worry stat but had waited three minutes before tossing his controller to the floor and went to the basement. Shock registered when the knob wouldn't turn. The only time he'd ever known the door to be locked was when Blaine was visiting.
Having missed Monday and Tuesday of school, Kurt finally drug himself out of bed. He showered, worked on the puffy redness in his face as well as the dark shadows under his eyes. Hair perfectly in order, he set about dressing. The dark indigo denim skinny jeans had silver thread throughout making them seem to sparkle. The thread was used heavily on his back pockets drawing attention to his ass. He'd paired them with his docs and a red button down from last year that was only this side of fitted rather than too small. He rolled the shirt sleeves and contemplated adding a tie or vest, then decided not to. Kurt Hummel was getting himself back. McKinley high was about to remember the icy chill and biting tongue of its very own Ice Queen.
The boys had already gone to school due to an early morning practice. So Kurt drove alone to school; before he backed out of his drive he snagged his phone and changed his Facebook status; Kurt Hummel - SINGLE. He'd been shocked when his phone hadn't exploded at the status change. But once he parked he could see why. Blaine stood looking angry at the edge of the sidewalk. He just couldn't deal with Blaine right now, it was too new, too raw, too much and he just didn't have the strength. Still, the countertenor steeled himself and exited his truck. He'd only made it halfway across the parking lot when he was flanked by Santana and Rachel. Giving both girls a grateful smile he hugged Rachel and linked pinkies with San. The three gleeks walked right past Blaine, as if he didn't exist at all.
The hall opened up for them as they made their way down to their lockers and then the choir room, which had been made New Directions homeroom. They avoided the Warblers in favor of meeting up with their friends before the Dalton boys could get there. Once they entered, Kurt actually smiled as everyone there just looked worried.
"He dumped me Sunday." The mask of indifference never slipped. Noticing that Kurt wasn't finished and knowing that this was for New Direction ears only Puck made for the door to the right and Sam took the one to the left. They closed them and stood guard. "He felt we should spread our wings a little and try seeing other people. Which really just means it's not wings he's looking to spread. No I don't want to talk about it, cry, eat ice cream and watch sad movies. I had two days and I did a lot of thinking and found myself looking in the mirror and worse, my closet," He emphasized the word giving a horrified look to the room in general. "And not knowing who that Kurt was." Kurt finished speaking and Sam and Puck released the room doors so the others and Mr. Shue could join them.
Both boys sat on either side of Kurt. Santana and Brit were just behind and Rachel and moved Finn to sit in front of Kurt. There was a bubble around Kurt, a vicious protective bubble that wouldn't hesitate to kick Blaine's ass should he make one wrong move. When he straggled in with Sebastian and Thad, those amazing caramel colored eyes locked with Kurt's. Moving toward the ND side of the class he opened his mouth but before he could say a word, Rachel was on her feet and pulling herself up as tall as she could and looking down her nose at him.
"Blaine Warbler do not waste your breath on empty apologies. I am very disappointed in your behavior. Two days, where you pretended not to know why Kurt might be out. Why Kurt wasn't answering calls and texts. Two days! Two days, where you purposely kept what you did a secret." Rachel was quickly working herself into an irate mess. "You are very lucky we need you to compete or I'd demand a vote to kick your butt right out of this glee club!" The small girl was shaking she was so angry. For his part Blaine just blinked in shock rubbing his face, and he'd flinched when Rachel had referred to him as 'Blaine Warbler' spitting it out like a dirty word.
The other Warblers had finally joined class and were watching in complete shock as the tiny Berry girl raged at Blaine. When they finally got a glimpse behind her and her much too tall for her boyfriend, they noticed Kurt. Or at least someone who looked like Kurt, definitely not dressed or behaving like the boy they'd known.
"And how dare you stand at the curb looking angry and betrayed by Kurt notifying us that the two of you were no longer together. You don't deserve our Kurt!" Brittany nodded, clapping at the glee captain's proclamation, while a smattering of agreeing words came from other members.
Blaine just shook his head and looked at Kurt. The blue eyed beauty knew Blaine's 'we need to talk or I'll make a scene' face. Standing he tugged the short girls hand, "Down girl. I'll get it over with. Don't worry, I can handle him." The icy tone made Santana smirk and allowed Rachel to sit without argument trusting Kurt. "Schue's office, Anderson. Now." Moving past Sam he walked down the risers hips swaying just slightly, in a way they hadn't in so long, due simply to the more relaxed way he was carrying himself. His body seeming to float past Blaine and into the teacher's office just to the side. Not caring that the blinds were open once Blaine closed the door and everyone in the room could see them.
The Warbler's all took seats on the right side of the class the segregation all self imposed so when Jeff and Nick chose instead to sit in the row with Sam and Puck, no one made a fuss. There was a loud crack and all heads turned to the room that the once couple were occupying. Kurt slapped Blaine hard across the face. He was storming out of the office face red as he vibrated with fury.
"Kurt, we need to talk about this. I think it's important not just for glee dynamics but for us." Blaine followed looking irritated that Kurt wasn't appearing to even hear him, let alone do as he said. "Kurt, do you hear me?"
Spinning as he stepped on the first riser steely blue eyes snapped to Blaine, the red draining leaving a white mask. "Oh, white boy you are gonna regret that." Mercedes shook her head. She'd seen this side of Kurt more than once. Loud angry diva Kurt was mean and a force to be reckoned with. But calm rage Kurt was a vicious beast with razor sharp claws and a blood lust.
"You really want to do this here? Now? I'm trying to wait and not do this in front of your friends." Kurt warned. When Blaine's only answer was to cross his arms and grind his teeth in irritation, Kurt nodded. "Fine, let's do this." Stepping down walking slowly like a jungle cat inspecting its prey he started, "Let me say first that there is nothing about me that is cheap. Not my clothes, not my behavior, and certainly not the way I present myself. I might not be sexy but that is no reason to dress covering every inch of skin or layer until I have no shape at all! Maybe it's not much, but this is the body I have and I do what I can with what I've got. Second, what I do and who I'm doing it with is no longer any of your business. You are the one who wanted us to spread our wings and see what else was out there."
At this point he was driving Blaine back by poking him in the chest. "I hated being your back up singer and understudy! I am very talented in my own right. So are most of the other underutilized soloists in New Directions, so hearing you complaining for hours about you not getting the solo you wanted or the male lead in a duet is incredibly annoying. You have control issues. You have jealousy issues. You're exhaustingly needy. In summary Blaine Warbler, THANK YOU for setting me free. It just might be the best thing you have ever done for me." The cruel words were snapped out to do the most damage and everyone could see them hitting their mark as Kurt remained unfazed.
The bell rang to signal the end of home room and Kurt took his bag from Puck before striding out of the room the hall parting for him even before Santana and Brittany caught up and flanked him. "That was so hot." The Latina smirked while Brittany nodded.
Back in class, the freshly minted public school warblers sat slack jawed at the confrontation they'd just witnessed. "When did Lady Hummel get hot?" Sebastian muttered brows drawing together, mouth still dry.